Stony Brook Blackworld V. 28 N. 3.Pdf
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November 10, 1993 ONE NATIION Volume 28, Number 3 ILN AT.... :~: 1 Map by Daniel V. Klein The circumcision of women in Africa criticized as brutal and dangerous Cover Story Black Hole en Accion Sports Page 3 Page 7 Page 16 Page 18 .0-1- aI :a .. r' BLACKWORLD ONE NATION WHA' S HAP'NIN 11/13/93 - Saturday - - "How To Break Into 11/18/93- Thursday- 11/20/93 - Saturday - Haitian Day Semi-For- Broadcast Journalism" LASO's Youth Empow- ASU fashion Show in mal in the Ballroom. in the SU Auditorium erment Day. For more the Auditorium. at 6p.m. Free. info call Tanzy at ext. 11/13/93 - Saturday - 1492. 12/5/93-Sunday-Tito Gospel Choir Concert Puente and Orchestra in Staller Center. 11/17/93-Wednesday 11/19/93 - Friday - in the Staller Center at - Blackworld Bake Sale CSO Party in the Ball- 8 P.M. 11/17/93 -Wednesday in the Union. room. I Minorities in Medicine Martin Luther King JrS An Organization of Merit Scholarship by Jewel Stafford The medical field has always organization calls upon many different Guidelines For The Humanitarian Schol- 500 words) which will be rated on the been competitive. Due to the lack of speakers to counsel and discuss various arship In Honor Of Dr. Martin Luther following criteria: a. community service representation for minorities, many orga- issues that the members may be con- King, Jr. Purpose To recognize outstand- b. role in promoting humanity and civility nizations have been geared to supplying fronted with in the medical field. ing upper division students who have dem- at USB c. content and presentation Selec- vital information for those minorities who, The president of Minorities in onstrated Dr. Martin Luthre King, Jr.'s tion 1. The candidate's essay willbe evalu- not only have the will to succeed, but are Medicine, Sheldon Peters, discussed an goals which include the appreciaton of ated by the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. willing to find the way to do it. issue thathas probably turned away many diversity through academic excellence and Scholarship Subcommittee 2. The final- One such organization that con- members. The fact that the organization's community service at the Unversity at ists may be interviewed by the Dr. Martin quers this feat is Minorities in Medicine. name has the word "minorities" in it does Stony Brook. Schholarship recipients will Luther King, Jr. Scholarship Subcommit- Their main goal is to get minorities recog- not mean that others aren't welcomed. receive a $500 cash reward. Eligibility tee Deadlines The scholarship(s) will be nized in the medical field through the use Mr. Peter clearly states that"everybody is The Humanitarian Scholarship in honor presented at the Dr. Martin Luther King, of scholarships, incentives, and financial welcome, but what we try to do is supply of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. is open to Jr. Celebration Thursday January 27, 1994 aid. Through the use of this information, information to minorities." full- time upper division students (juniors in the Staller Center for the Arts. Please the members gain a deeper understanding Some of the upcoming events' and seniors). The student must have been return the completed application with sup- of what the future holds for them. The include pediatrics neurological surgeon, in attendance a minimum of two semes- porting documentation (two recommen- organization also serves as an academic Benjamin Carter, who will be speaking to ters at the Stony Brook campus, a resident dations letters and essay) on or before advisor toward their members. For ex- the organization next semester. Dr. Carson of the State of New York, and a citizen or November 19, 1993 to: Humanitarian ample, Dr. David Bynum, Judy Berhanan, was involved with the first successful permanent resident of the United States. Scholarship In Honor Of Dr. Martin Luther and Aldustus Jordan are pre-medical ad- separation of Siamese twins. Another Criteria for Selection 1. Cumulative grade 'King, Jr. Department Of Student Union visors that offer their time and expertise. upcoming event includes a trip to Down- point average, the minimum of 2.5 through And Activities 266 StonyBrook Union Minorities in Medicine provide state Medical Center in Brooklyn during, August 1993. 2. Two letters of recom- University At StonyBrook 11794-3200 trips to various medical schools to famil- the month of November. Anybody is mendation which supprt University Applications are available in iarize the members with the type of envi- welcome to attend. related community sservice. This ser- BLACKWORLD office in the Union Rm. ronment that they will eventually be ex- Basically, the long term goal of vice should reflect the idelas of Dr. Martin 072 posed to. Medical schools, like Down- Minorities in Medicine is to establish a Luther King, Jr. 3. Atyped essay (up to state andMount Sinai, offer many differ- foundation for young minorities to enter ent workshops to aid the members with the medical field prepared. hands-on experience. In addition, the THERE WILL BE A uPERFORMANCE r w i rrr r ON SATURDAY ,f NOVEMBER 13 I AT 7:00 P.M. PERFORMANCE AT STALLER CENTER. TICKETS $4.00. I BLACKWRLD ON NATIO WOMEN, WHY US? by Mariama Goba Human societies consist of Arabic language. A more severe type is Most of the procedures per- the procedures. For the pregnant woman groups of people, usually of both sexes known as "Clitoridectomy," which is the formed by traditional midwives are in in labor, the uterine muscles usually fail to and all ages. We all have a set of behav- removal of partor all of the clitoris as well rural settings without the knowledge of dilate not allowing normal passage of the iors, customs and rituals that are transmit- as part of the labia minora. An even more anesthesia. For that matterantiseptic tech- baby which can be very fatal for the woman ted from one generation to another. As severe type is known as "Pharaonic" cir- niques are also not taken. "The midwife and her child. members of society, we have rituals and cumcision or "Infibulation," which con- may wash her hands with soap and/or Why does something so brutal customs that are specific to that society, sists of removing the clitoris, the labia water, or not at all" (Woman, Why Do and traumatic still exist in these coun- including our mode of dress, way of lan- minor and the inner part of labia major. You Weep, P.16). The genital area mayor tries? The main reasons given are for guage, spoken language, food that we eat, All of the three types have been reported may not be washed. Instruments used in religious and traditional purposes. Female matrimonial ceremony and system of law in Africa, but clitoridectomy and these procedures include scissors, kitchen circumcision, as a practice, is initially an and government. In America and many infibulationare knives or razor blades. ethnic one. As people migrate from one other nations circumcision is a ritual cer- the most Female circumcision is usually African country to another, they usually emony that is usually perform on males. commonly performedbetweenthe carry their customs with them. For those Circumcision of the male is a process that prac- ages of five through who approved female circumcision as a involves the removal of the ticed. eight, but the ages do ritual, religious and traditionalbeliefs are prepuce(foreskin) on the male's penis. vary. These children given for the continuation of these proce- Male circumcision is universal among all after undergoing the dures. For men religion is given as the Jews and Muslims, and other religions; procedures face primary reason, while following tradition which has been accepted as religious sac- many complica- or customs are given as a primary reasons rifice. Ithas also been noted thatmales are tions. for females. Other reasons given for the circumcisedformedicalreasonsandclean- the ' maintenance of female circumcision are liness. pro- for the purpose of cleanliness. Girls who In various parts of Africa, not cedures are uncircumcised are thought to be dirty only are males circumcised but so are are per- and impure (Woman, why do You Weep, females. Females are circumcised in a formedby p.73). A wife giving her husband more manner that is considered by some critics, traditional pleasure sexually and the preservation of such as Alice Walker, as being brutal and mid- virginity are also other reasons for these dangerous. The ritual of female circumci- wives EXCISION practices. sion is practiced extensively in the fol- Those who oppose female cir- lowing nations of Africa and more: Kenya, who INFIBULATION cumcision say that the practice is uncalled Liberia, Sudan, Ghana, Egypt, Ethiopia, usu- for, morally wrong and unhumanitarian. EXCISION AND Sierra Leone, Mali, Nigeria, Tanzania, alIallyy ~ INFIBULATION These children are usually taught to be- Uganda. See map. d o lieve that they are going to experience Female circumcision is not not have training in the physiology or something great about womanhood equivalent to male circumcision. As op- the mechanisms of the human body). through circumcision. Is mutilating a posed to male circumcision, female "cir- Apart from these midwives, an elder young child's genital organs a great expe- cumcision involves far more extensive or well respectable woman can usually rience? Most people who opposed the damage to the sexual organs" and it can perform these procedures. In urban set- practice totally disagree with this notion. affect the health and psychological state ting, and particularly among people who In an interview conducted in early Octo- of an individual subject to the to the pro- are prosperous, the procedures can be ber on "Date Line," several Gambian cedures (Prisoner of Rituals, P.